You know me… if I can do it well on the go, than that’s where I want to do it. In other words, if there is a productivity task that can be done from my smartphone, and it can be done effectively and quickly, than I’d rather d it on the go. Why schedule time to be tethered if I don’t have to?

Such is my view of mobile scanning. Smartphone camera solutions are useful in a pinch, but, as we noted in our Visioneer Mobility Scanner, we don’t mind being spoiled. Thus, we had no doubts it’s cousin, the similarly minded Visioneer Mobile Organizer, would be just fun to look at.

The scanner that makes up the main piece of the review package isn’t too different from its cousin Mobility; they share the same color schemes, and hard plastic finish, but the former looks a bit more angled visually, and the black bottom creeps up higher as well. Dimensions-wise, it is 11.4 x 2.2 x 1.5 inches and weighs less than 1 lb. The box also contains a carrying bag, a RoadWarrior disc (with several software tools and an ebook), USB cable, calibration paper, a cleaning cloth and plenty of documentation.

The scanner works well on its own; it boasts 11 second/sheet one-sided printing of letter-sized documents, and in practice it delivers; it also works with advertised paper ranges from 1.5 x 1.5 inches to 8.5 x 32 inches in size. The unit is powered via USB cable connection to, say, a laptop, so power cables are not needed. Scans produced are impressive, and it even works with formerly crumpled pieces of paper.

What the mobile organizer intends to do is be more than just a scanner, but an organizational hub and paperless lifestyle tutor. The software tools include a data organizer for the scanned data (which then becomes searchable by text). The aforementioned ebook brings core paperless principles to life.

It’s a different device than the Mobility, yes, geared almost to traveling folks who pack a laptop, but in that space, it is an excellent peripheral device.

No, seriously… I do. We live in a digital world, and it makes life easier. With different storage options, local and cloud, it just makes sense to make those documents take on a different life. Even if only from a backup standpoint, having digital documents is a must have.

One issue remains though. All that paper isn’t always generated/accumulated at home. One business trip alone can generate lots of paper, and even if one has a traditional scanner at home, manually scanning in stuff is sometimes more than a chore. What folks like me need is a truly mobile scanner. A smartphone might work in a pinch, but as anyone who has had a need to get a professional document digitized on the fly can tell you, sometimes, cellphone cameras simply don’t cut it.

The review unit came boxed with power cord with adjustable prongs, software disk, 2GB microSD card and adapter, cleaning tool, mini-USB cable, and the scanner itself encased in a decent black carry case. First, it is really mobile, coming in at 11.54 x 2.82 x 2.07 inches and less than a pound and a half in weight. The review unit itself has a hard plastic exterior, with glossy white on top over a black body. It looks like a basic scanner would with power and feed buttons to the right, and SD, mini-USB and full USB ports at the back. The entire thing is infinitely portable, and has a nice design aesthetic.

The unit came with what seemed to be a full charge, so I was able to get into using it immediately. The true draw is that it does not need a full-fledged computer to operate; scanning documents is easy and intuitive; with the device on, face-up feeding auto-launches the hardware, and the device stores the scanned documents to the included SD card. It does 300 ppi JPG or PDF too, and it is possible to scan directly in wired fashion to supported Android devices via USB debugging. The replaceable rechargeable battery ensures that wires can be left at home, and it boasts 300 scans before a recharge is needed. The quality of the scans is really good, and it handles paper 2 x 2 inches all the way up to letter-sized sheets.

An added optional benefit that Visioneer advertises that I was able to verify independently is Eye-Fi card functionality. A configured Eye-Fi card gives the scanner enviable wireless functionality that is really hard to beat, and makes it invaluable on the road.

It doesn’t do both sides of the paper at once; and I did feel that holding it a bit too hard could ding it up, but all in all, the Mobility Color is a great device that changes mobile productivity in a positive way. It makes one completely rethink the use of paper, and removes a major barrier to being completely digital.